Birthday, Take 2
by dll10
Summary: One-shot. Ginny, disgruntled after Ron interrupted her birthday gift to Harry, gets Hermione's help so she can finish what she started later that night.


It seemed only moments after Hermione left the room that Ron's thunderous snores echoed through the silence. Harry tried to close his eyes and let sleep take him but the words 'I open at the close' danced elusively through his mind, evading his efforts to grasp meaning from the phrase. If he only could _ask_ Dumbledore. There were so many things he desperately wanted to know, and the list just kept getting longer and longer. It was beyond frustrating.

The rhythmic cacophony acting as the soundtrack to his musings was interrupted by the creaking of the bedroom door. Startled, Harry glanced hastily towards the sound, reaching automatically for his wand. He quickly recognized that there wasn't a threat and he relaxed slightly.

There she was, silhouetted in the dim hallway light - Ginny. The soft glow illuminated her face, setting it ablaze with an intangible ethereal quality. She had that fierce, determined look Harry had become familiar with during the previous year. The one she wore when playing Quidditch or standing up to her brothers, the same one she wore moments before their first kiss.

Harry stared at her curiously for several long moments wondering if he had somehow fallen asleep without realizing and his subconscious had seen fit to replace one obsessive line of thinking with another much more pleasant one.

An age passed in the instant it seemed to take for her decision to come here to resolve into a solid determination. Then Ginny's finger was crooking into a come hither motion.

For a moment Harry was uncertain, shooting a furtive look at Ron's slumbering form, but he was completely unfazed by the mysterious appearance of his sister. Ginny, however, just stood there, waiting patiently for Harry to come to her. And just like that he was helpless to resist. It was just like when she had led him from Dumbledore's broken body. He was powerless to do anything except follow her blindly. Harry didn't even spare a peek back at Ron or notice when the lullaby of contented snores faded out of hearing range.

So much for the promise Ron had extracted earlier. Harry was certain the conversation would stick with him for a long time, but when it came to Ginny he was weak. His self-control was tested and stretched to its limits. He could endure when there were miles of separation between them, but after just three days of being near her he was breaking. At least they wouldn't be at Hogwarts together this year. He didn't think he could maintain his feeble illusion of indifference if he had to look at her and speak to her every day.

When Harry reached her, her hand reassuringly grasped his and led him quietly down the stairs to her room. A room he had entered for the first time only hours before, but one he was already desperate to return to. It was after all the site of a fantasy, a place where he'd been able to live out a moment from someone else's life. A life not destined for pain, war, and death, but hope, happiness, and love instead.

"Ginny -," whispered Harry when she reached for the bronze handle of her door.

"Shhh!" Ginny immediately interrupted, hastily placing a finger against Harry's lips before tugging him into the room and quietly easing the door shut behind them.

A quick perusal showed them to be alone in the room. Hermione's camp bunk forlorn and empty from it's place shoved against the desk. The aisle between the two beds only about about two feet wide, much like his and Ron's beds in the upstairs room.

"Where's -" Harry began, but was again interrupted.

"Silencing and privacy charms first, Harry," Ginny breathed, barely audible.

" _Mufflioato_ , _colloportus_ ," Harry whispered, readily obeying her command. It was the best he could do. Hermione would have known more, but he hoped this would be enough for them to avoid detection and the embarrassment of being discovered together in the middle of the night, alone and in her bedroom, by either her parents or her many, many brothers, all of which he suddenly feared more than Voldemort.

He was going to have to remember to ask Hermione about learning more privacy spells sometime tomorrow. If they really were about to leave, they needed to be prepared. The situation he currently found himself him brought his unpreparedness into glaring focus. His worries were abruptly forgotten when Ginny took a small step closer.

"Now will you tell me what's going on?" asked Harry. "Er-, it's the middle of the night, " he added stupidly when she just gave him an amused look.

Ginny took another step closer, her smile never wavering, and Harry swallowed thickly.

"Where's Hermione?" Harry tried again to ask, the question coming out slightly strangled.

"Out," said Ginny, a glorious grin spreading across her face, threatening to outshine the sun. "I told her we needed at least an hour or two of privacy since we were interrupted earlier. I wanted to give you something to remember that would make you think of me."

"You did! Believe me, I won't forget that kiss… ever," said Harry. "I will think of that kiss every day, I swear. It was… perfect." The last was said with a regretful shake of his head and a wistful half grin directed at her.

"I know, but I wasn't anywhere near done when Ron barged in like the prat he is," said Ginny with a look of disgusted annoyance twisting her features before she focused back on Harry and took both of his hands in her tiny ones.

"Ginny -"

"Harry, do you remember last summer?"

"Yeah…" said Harry, not really sure where she was going with the question.

"Mum kept going on and on about how Bill and Fleur were rushing into things, and how it was because of the war. I completely agreed with her. I mean - they barely knew each other, then suddenly they were engaged! It was utterly ridiculous. They were being so... well, stupid! She said it was like that last time too. It was actually why they got married themselves right after Hogwarts. Of course that was right at the start, when he was first coming to power, but people were already getting scared," said Ginny.

She had started talking faster the longer she went on. It reminded Harry of when Ron had first said she usually never shut up. He thought she had probably picked up on the worry her words had conjured in him. When she finally trailed off, it was with a look of uncertainty. It was a look Harry hadn't seen on her face in a very long time, years even.

"Ginny, you know… we can't…"

The words were painful, almost heartbreaking, for Harry to say, but he needed to make sure she understood. He thought she had when they spoke at Dumbledore's funeral. Opening up was difficult for him and she was usually so good at understanding without making him say anything, but maybe what had happened earlier had confused things or gotten them all twisted up. Even just saying that much made an awful bitterness well up inside him, threatening to choke him.

"I know," said Ginny in a rush. "That wasn't what I meant. I was trying to say I understand the rush. The need to do everything immediately. It makes sense now."

Harry let out a relieved breath as she continued.

"We could die."

She said it so calmly. So bluntly. So matter-of-fact.

"We could," Harry agreed with the same gravity to the words as she had used.

"Anyone of us, especially you. Probably several of us. At any time, any moment. That's what it means to be at war. We've never really talked about it - never needed to. We both know the other is going to fight." She placed her hand against Harry's mouth to stop him from begging her to not fight. To stay safe at home instead. She offered a gentle smile, as if to soften the blow her words dealt, and he closed his eyes while hearing her finish, "It's who we are."

This was the first truly serious conversation he'd ever had with Ginny and it definitely wasn't what he expected when he followed her into the tiny oasis of her room. However, it felt like their relationship had progressed in some profound, meaningful way - despite the fact that they had broken up.

Harry and Ginny stood staring at one another for several long moments as they each tried to get their emotions under control. His eyes were locked on hers and his throat felt unaccountable dry. He tried to swallow, but it was like sandpaper scraping his insides. Gradually, the feeling lessened and he could breathe more easily. Finally, Ginny let out a long sigh.

"That brings us back to your present. I don't want to waste time." Then she was kissing him and the blissful oblivion of drinking firewhiskey consumed him for the second time that day.

Her small hands circled Harry's waist, slipping under his shirt to dance over his skin like tiny licks of flame. Her floral scent invaded his senses. Then they were breaking apart as she eagerly pushed his shirt up, trying to tug it off. Harry complied with her wishes, too dazed to do more than follow her lead. He gulped when her fingers skated back down his exposed chest and down along his stomach before finally coming to rest at the waistband of his pajama pants.

In the weeks they had spent together at Hogwarts, they had never done anything more than snog. Hands had stayed at the waist or head, never even venturing to scandalous places over the top of clothes, so this was a little nerve racking, and more than slightly overwhelming for Harry.

The thought that Harry really had fallen asleep earlier and that this was a dream flitted through Harry's head, but it was quickly forgotten when Ginny tugged her own top off. In fact, all thoughts flew from his head and he was fairly certain he'd never be able to think again. That only lasted another moment then his mind began racing.

Harry could do nothing but stare. He'd fantasize about what she looked like, but it had nothing on reality. She wasn't wearing a bra, so her chest was completely exposed to his view. Harry was undeniably curious about her body. He drank in the sight, utterly fascinated by the way freckles dotted her skin, like a sprinkling of cinnamon powder over the whipped cream topping of the hot chocolate served at Hogwarts around Christmas. Her shorts were obviously several summers old, because they were miniscule, barely covering all her necessary bits. The realization that her nipples were the exact shade of dusty pink that her lips were left him with the secret knowledge that he would think of them every time she spoke from then on.

Seamus had smuggled in dirty magazines, but Harry had never felt right looking at them, especially not in front of an audience. He was embarrassingly aware that he was the most ignorant of his yearmates at school when it came to all things female. Even Ron, who was notorious for being clueless, knew more, occasionally making comments or referencing things the twins or Bill had shared with him when the boys were alone in their dorm. Hell, even Neville's great uncle had talked to him about these sorts of things! It wasn't like Mr. Dursley had ever taken the time to educate Harry and unfortunately, Sirius had died before Harry had a chance to really talk to him about this sort of thing. Maybe some of the Weasley's would have taken it upon themselves to broach the topic with Harry when they found out he had his first girlfriend, but considering that the girl in question was their sister (or daughter), that wasn't likely to happen now. Harry had briefly considered writing to Remus towards the end of the year, but he knew he couldn't because of the delicate nature of his missions for the Order.

A muffled giggle had Harry's eyes snapping up to catch Ginny's amused smile. Harry had no idea what to do, his experience so limited. His uncertainty and hesitance must have shown because Ginny smiled reassuringly before reaching for Harry's hand. It was only then that he felt the pain of having dug his nails deeply into his palm to stop from grabbing her.

"It's okay, Harry. I want you to touch me. I need this as much as you do," said Ginny while she carefully pried his fingers open and he was grateful when she didn't comment on the dampness of his sweaty palm.

She slowly brought his hand up to her breast, resting it gently against her. He could feel her heart pounding. Her skin was softer than expected, smooth like the petals of a flower.

For several breathes he didn't move. He wanted to ask for clarification about what was happening. He wanted to ask if she was certain. He wanted to ask if this was really happening. He wanted to tell her that she was a dream come true. No words came, however.

"It's okay," Ginny repeated. Then she was kissing him again and his hands took on minds of their own and hesitantly explored the new territory they'd miraculously been given access to.

He squeezed experimentally and felt her nipple pucker against the palm of his cupped hand. He wonderingly trailed a finger along the tip before lightly pinching it. The answering moan from Ginny was all the encouragement he needed bring his other hand up and do the same to her neglected breast. He listened to her gasp and moan and it was euphoric.

Her fingers sent little electric sparks jolting through him everywhere she touched setting his nerves on fire, burning him from the inside out. There was a pleasant buzz beneath his skin intensifying with every movement and brush of skin against skin. Her hands were skating over his back featherlight and tingles were shooting down his spine.

Harry pressed closer to Ginny and realized he'd unconsciously been rubbing his arousal against her hip. Embarrassment flooded him and he tried to ease back some, but her body followed his and she released a surprised whimper. It was enough for him to fall back into the moment and let go of his worries.

When next she broke away, both were still gasping for air as she whispered the one thing he had no memory of ever hearing from another person, but had always secretly longed to.

"I love you, Harry."

Harry pulled her close, plastering her to him as he devoured her mouth and his arms encircled her. She fit perfectly against him, pressed tight to his front while he tried to convey how much her words meant. He lost himself in her once more. His worries about the war, Voldemort, all of it were forgotten. Harry wanted to stay lost because here in this moment the weight of his burden wasn't crushing him for the first time since Dumbledore's death.

The feel of her hands tugging his pants down startled him enough to release her, but she didn't let him back up. Not that he could have gone far anyways with the door at his back. Instead, she grasped his freshly exposed flesh rather firmly, gave him a cheeky grin, then sank to her knees before him, resting on the pants he'd just inadvertently stepped out of a second previously. Before he could utter a word, she had engulfed him in the blazing inferno of her mouth.

The heat was searing and Harry couldn't think of anything that had ever fried his senses quite like this currently was. It was bliss. He'd thought snogging Ginny was the best feeling in the world, but he'd never realized how much more he was capable of feeling.

"Gin -"

Harry tried to warn her, but her hands and mouth grasped him closer, taking him in as he finished. He slid from her mouth with an awkwardly loud, and wet popping sound that had him flushing deeply. Harry was leaning back heavily against her bedroom door, one hand threaded through her silky crimson locks and the other pressed to the wall beside the door to keep his knees from collapsing out from under him. He almost felt mortified by how quick the whole thing had been, but one look at her smug, self-satisfied grin had him letting out a relieved chuckle. She looked like the Cheshire Cat.

"Can - Can I do that to you?" Harry asked, feeling like an overeager schoolboy on Christmas morning. He had no idea what exactly he needed to do to give her the same pleasure, but he was desperate for the chance to try.

"I'd like that," said Ginny.

Her response was so simple and straightforward, no games or innuendo, that Harry felt much more confident. That was one of the things he liked best about Ginny, she always knew how to put him at ease. With anyone else, he would have felt too insecure trying something so intimate, that was so far out of his comfort zone, but she just smiled up at him and he felt the peacefulness that came with knowing this moment was right and that it was with the right person. He couldn't imagine ever feeling this _right_ with someone else. She was everything to him.

Grasping Ginny's hand, Harry tugged her to her feet. He questioningly placed his hands on her hips along the edge of her shorts, seeking permission to shed the last barrier between them. Her nod was all the encouragement he needed to ease the thin cotton down her toned legs taking her panties with them. Her curls were the same shade of red as the hair cascading down her back in soft waves and Harry was fixated by the sight.

"You're beautiful," said Harry. She looked pleased to hear it and slightly surprised, but it was a truth no one could deny. Her body was toned and lean from years of Quidditch and flying. And while she was petite, she had definitely inherited her mum's curves - minus the strain of six pregnancies and seven births. "Even Zabini said so."

"Harry, let's not talk about other blokes right now, okay?"

Both laughed at her soft teasing words taking the single step necessary to reach the edge of her bed in the cramped room. She sat down and this time it was Harry that kneeled before her.

"Tell me if I do it wrong?" asked Harry. He let her glimpse his nerves. "I want this to be good for you."

"I'll like anything you do, but yeah - I'll help you if you need it."

He placed a soft kiss on each knee before beginning a trail of soft pecks upwards towards her center. Heat radiated from the apex of her thighs and when he finally reached the place she most wanted him, it was ambrosia. Her surprised gasps and drawn out moans were a symphony, urging him to explore and carry on. He felt the desire to stay right there for hours, days, years, desperate to learn every nuance of her body. He had no clue if he was doing anything right, but as promised, Ginny offered soft words of encouragement and advise that guided Harry.

All too soon her muscles fluttered and quivered. Harry glanced up to catch her eye, watching as Ginny bit her lip to keep from crying out. A flush spread down her chest and Harry was interested to note that it spread all the way from her cheeks to across her chest, stopping just above the peaks of her breast. Harry felt his lips curve into a smile as he gave her one final lick and heard her gasp as a result.

There was extreme satisfaction in knowing Harry had been able to make Ginny feel as good as she had made him feel. It was that moment that Harry realized that while she had said I love you, Harry had not said it back.

"I love you!" Harry exclaimed, the words bursting from him in that instant, unable to stay buried anymore. It was like a dam exploding, once they were out, they just kept gushing forth. "I love you, Gin. No one in the world means more to me, not Ron, not Hermione - no one. You're my reason for fighting. Well no - I'd fight because it's the right thing to do, but I'll fight to survive for you and for a future with you. It would destroy me if he hurt you. I'm fighting to give us a better world where we can be together without fear. You're what keeps me going. Please don't ever doubt it."

Ginny looked dumbstruck. Her mouth was hanging open and she was obviously not expecting such a declaration from Harry. Then she smiled that radiant smile, the one that filled Harry with the warmth of the sun and was hard to look directly at because it glowed so brightly.

She didn't say anything in return, but that was yet another wonderful thing about Ginny. She always knew what Harry was thinking, what he needed, and right then, all he needed was her to be there. Not to give him false platitudes that everyone would make it out alive, but to be here in this moment. He stared up at her for a long time before she giggled.

"Are you planning on joining me up here and finishing what we started?"

It was exactly the right thing to break the seriousness and tension of the moment.

Climbing up the bed, Harry had only moved a few inches before the idea occurred to him that he should take advantage of the opportunity to kiss as many freckles as possible along the way. At first Ginny giggled, but with every kiss her breathing became more shallow and labored. When they were finally face to face, she grabbed his cheeks and planted her lips against Harry's. He kissed her for several long, drugging minutes, drinking each other in, before her legs wrapped around his hips. Ginny used a foot to urge Harry closer before pulling away abruptly.

"Do you know the contraceptive charm?"

"N-no!" said Harry looking startled. "It's not exactly part of the Hogwarts curriculum, you know. And I've never been in this position before tonight."

"I figured. I asked Hermione for it earlier, but you'll have to do it since I can't do magic yet."

"You asked Hermione? So she knows we're…"

"Harry, what did you think she was thinking when I asked her to clear out of here for while in the middle of the night?"

"Er-"

Ginny laughed then kissed Harry, whispering the charm for him to cast. He darted off her, hurriedly reaching for the wand he'd dropped earlier when she'd first kissed him. His hast had him fumbling with it and ultimately dropping it in the process of trying to cast the charm. He felt his face go tomato red. Ginny just smiled when he bent to pick it up and try again, successfully this time.

"You're my whole world, Harry. I love you."

Rejoining Ginny on the bed, Harry looked Ginny in the eyes and got lost, falling into the deep pools of molten chocolate.

"I love you, Harry," said Ginny again, pulling Harry closer still. "I always have and I always will. Nothing will ever change that."

Harry felt his heart swell at hearing the words. He felt that in this instance he could fly without a broomstick. It was all the reassurance Harry needed that she truly wanted this to happen as much as he did. Even if they only ever had this one night together, Harry knew neither would regret sharing themselves this way.

She helped guide Harry as he sank into her before clasping his hands in hers. Neither looked away from the other as they joined their two bodies, becoming one. It was awkward and clumsy at first, but soft caresses, gentle kisses, whispered words, and promises of love helped. Eventually, they found a comfortable rhythm and her hips began to eagerly rise to meet his. Both felt how this union was a manifestation of their love for one another.

Harry was surprised he lasted longer than he had when she'd taken him into her mouth, for which he was eternally grateful, but it was still over all too soon. Though it was no less earth-shattering for its expediency. They laid wrapped in each other's arms once finished. Both were content to simply stroke the other's exposed flesh and offer fleeting caresses.

Harry was startled by a soft knock at the door.

"Hermione!" said Ginny.

The pair sprang apart guiltily and hurried to dress. Glancing at the clock showed she'd given them closer to three hours instead of the promised two for which he could only be grateful. With the wedding though, Mrs. Weasley was sure to be up shockingly early and they were definitely pushing it if they didn't want to get caught.

"Ginny, when this is over, I want a lifetime of nights like this."

Ginny rushed over and kissed Harry once more, trying desperately to convey everything she felt into the action. Harry could scarcely believe that this night had really happened. The entire experience felt surreal now. There were so few opportunities in his life for true happiness and this had certainly been one of them. He planned to savor this memory during the coming darkness. Hoarding it like a miser.

"They're yours, Harry. They're all yours. All you have to do is come back to me," said Ginny.

"Well if that's not enough incentive, I don't know what is."

"There's a silver lining I was hoping for," said Ginny with a wistful smile. Harry could hear her words from earlier. He gave her one last kiss before reluctantly moving to open the door.

Harry flushed at Hermione's knowing look as she quickly assessed both of them and glanced at the rumpled bed.

"You were careful?" Hermione whispered.

"Yes!" Harry hissed at her, feeling mortified.

"Well, I had to check! The last thing we need is for Voldemort to go after your child the way he hunted you down," said Hermione very quickly, the hissed words sounding like a tea kettle going off.

And just like that the magic of the evening burst and reality came slamming back down crashing all around him. Harry shot Ginny a miserable look, but she had turned away.

"Er - night," said Harry, not knowing what else he could say or how to make reality disappear again, however temporarily.

"Be careful not to wake Ron," said Hermione, but she was distracted staring at Ginny. Harry didn't move at first, but Hermione looked back at him and made shooing motions, indicating she'd take over from here and then shut the door in Harry's face.

Quickly Harry returned to bed, the events of the evening replaying in his head on a neverending loop.

He still hadn't fallen asleep when Mrs. Weasley summoned them to an early breakfast before final wedding preparations were to take place.

Ginny gave no indication of the night before during breakfast, but Harry couldn't stop himself from stealing a few discrete glances and wishing for the day when the war was over and they could truly be together again.

The only indication Harry got that Ginny was thinking about the previous night as well came during the wedding when Aunt Muriel made a comment about Ginny's dress being too low cut. Her playful wink had him remembering exactly what the dress did manage to conceal and how her lips were that particular shade of pink...

Author's Note

Sorry if you read this hoping it went with my other stories. I recently heard from LostWolfGirl and have since been thinking about getting back into writing. I have about five stories that are entirely (chapter by chapter) planned out and just need to be written, but they are all in the Harry Potter world. I will try to go back and finish the other stories, but it may take some time. This was my first attempt at writing in years and I kind of wanted to see how it went over before I tried writing again. That said, this wasn't beta'd, so please forgive any spelling, grammar, punctuation errors. I hope you enjoy. Please let me know what you think!


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